Why isn’t AGFC trying to relocate or transplant or hatch turkeys by the thousands every year at this point?
After a short time the population would likely be able to sustain itself until the next few years of bad weather luck
Like mentioned above, where is one going to get wild birds to transplant? This is not an Arkansas deal, it's an everywhere deal now. Strongly doubt anyone would be willing to let someone come into an area & trap for relocation what they are seeing go down in numbers they have. And it's just not Eastern's , it's Rio's, it's Merriam's, it's Osceola's, heck even the Gould's in Mexico are starting to have trouble.
Oklahoma is having a rash of folks trying, not trying but doing, raising pen raised birds (some are using wild caught birds but many are using a domestic type that looks like a wild Rio and passing it off as such) to try to keep one of the major things that has driven their turkey population into the ground, (drastic overharvest) to keep the money train flowing into their areas! Many, who for all intents and purposes raped the resources they once had in vast amounts for a $$$$$$ now are hatching birds, raising them, doing a put & place right before they have hunters coming in, then selling them to folks. Hunting forums are full of folks advertising $700,1 bird (their new state allowed bag limit) 100% success rate hunts out there and the responses to them are staggering, 100's upon 100's of folks asking for info & details. May be, or might not be shocking, a vast amount of the responses they are getting are from younger Arkansas's. That to me is a good indicator as to how much pressure there might be at home here in Arkansas on our resident population if there is such an interest in someone being willing to pay $700 for a 1 bird hunt, then buy license and tag, another $175, then gas, food & lodging to boot. Do the quick math here, easy $1200 for 1 bird!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Their DNR is about to have a stroke about it being done and are 100 & 10% apposed to this, both from an ethics issue (folks selling tame birds for wild) but also from an ecological impact to remaining resident flocks. They done come down on several already out there, shutting them down on at least the being able to have sellable turkeys using USDA reg's in place now, They are not able to shut them down, but they are making them clip their wings, remove their beards & de-spur them if they are domestic. If found to be wild strain birds, the DNR is taking them. But as I type working on some pretty severe fines and penalties for those doing such on their side to try to stop it. .
